The Blues Blogger » The Grammys http://thebluesblogger.com Reflective Blues & Jazz Revue ... Mon, 21 May 2012 15:27:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 2006-2007 info@thebluesblogger.com (The Blues Blogger) info@thebluesblogger.com (The Blues Blogger) http://thebluesblogger.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg The Blues Blogger http://thebluesblogger.com 144 144 Reflective Blues & Jazz Revue ... The Blues Blogger The Blues Blogger info@thebluesblogger.com no no Grammy Nominee: The Truth According To Ruthie Foster http://thebluesblogger.com/689/grammy-nominee-the-truth-according-to-ruthie-foster http://thebluesblogger.com/689/grammy-nominee-the-truth-according-to-ruthie-foster#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:32:07 +0000 The Blues Blogger http://thebluesblogger.com/?p=689

“The truth, according to this remarkable album, is that Ruthie Foster is one of America’s finest soul-blues artists… a full-on blast of soul and blues… The combination of a talented band, powerful songs, and Foster’s roaring gospel-inspired vocals leaves Truth with no weak spots among

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]]> http://thebluesblogger.com/689/grammy-nominee-the-truth-according-to-ruthie-foster/feed 11 0:00:30 “The truth, according to this remarkable album, is that Ruthie Foster is one of America’s finest soul-blues artists… a full-on blast of soul and blues… The combination of a talented band, powerful songs, and Foster’s r[...] “The truth, according to this remarkable album, is that Ruthie Foster is one of America’s finest soul-blues artists… a full-on blast of soul and blues… The combination of a talented band, powerful songs, and Foster’s roaring gospel-inspired vocals leaves Truth with no weak spots among its dozen tracks. If this one doesn’t elevate Foster to the next level of popularity, it’s impossible to imagine what will.” ~Blues Revue Last Sunday Afternoon When you love music as much as I do, working on a weekly blog certainly has its limitations. There’s so much amazing music (past and present) that I enjoy listening to, I only wish I had time to generate more posts. Last spring one of those releases I heard but never got the opportunity to write about was Ruthie Foster’s album The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. Her energetic spirit and vocal prowess is absolutely wonderful. So when I heard the news of Foster’s Grammy nomination alongside performers such as Susan Tedeschi, Mavis Staples, Robert Cray and Derek Trucks for Best Contemporary Blues Album at this year’s upcoming awards, my interest in this extremely talented artist was rejuvenated. Since it was unusually warm this past weekend, the atmosphere and good timing gave me an idea to do something that was long overdue… I walked upstairs and went into the living room. My golden retriever Lucille was curled up basking in a spot on the carpet where the early afternoon sun shined brightly. Noticing I was staring, she nonchalantly glanced up at me with a tranquil gaze as if to say, ”Please tell me today is the day?” With such a hectic schedule as of late, Lucille hasn’t been getting the exercise she’s used to, and I was determined to make it up to her. With an animated smile, she briskly headed for the front door as I displayed the leash that I was hiding behind my back… With my MP3 player in hand, Foster’s upbeat funky tune “Stone Love,” started to play as Lucille and I began our invigorating walk down the sun drenched avenue. Ruthie Foster is originally from Gause, Texas. Raised in a household with gospel roots, she was also exposed to a lot of jazz and blues. Foster always knew music was in her blood, even before her first appearance as a 14 year old soloist in her uncle’s choir. Moving to Waco Texas to attend McClennan Community College, she mixed music classes and audio engineering with visits to clubs at night. In her early teens Foster led a blues band in biker bars and other various settings from Dallas to San Antonio. In the late eighties Foster join the Navy and worked with an ensemble called Pride, where she traveled around at recruitment drives playing funk hits. Foster moved to New York in 1990 and immersed herself in the folk scene and eventually landed a deal with Atlantic Records. But the label didn’t share her vision of what kind of artist she should be. Family obligations would bring her back to Texas, where she re-connected with her roots and put together a string of new material that would get her work both in a band setting and as a solo artist. “It didn’t matter to me what genre it was,” she remembers. “I just took it all in as great music – music that moved me.” In 1997 Foster released the album Full Circle before teaming up with Blue Corn Music, and then released Crossover in 1999, Runaway Soul in 2002, Stages (featuring a series of live tracks) in 2004, Heal Yourself in 2006 and The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster in 2008. The Truth According to Ruthie Foster Amazon.com Widgets Recorded in Memphis at Ardent Studios with the assistance from players such as guitarist Robben Ford, (The Yellowjackets, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell) well known Memphis keyboardist Jim Dickinson (the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin), organist Charles Hodges (Al Green, Ann Peebles) and the Memphis Horns. This latest release is Ruthie Foster’s most catchy and successful work to date. And with a Grammy nomi[...] blues, Reviews, Soul info@thebluesblogger.com no no Chicago Blues: A Living History – 2010 Grammy Nominee http://thebluesblogger.com/811/chicago-blues-a-living-history-2010-grammy-nominee http://thebluesblogger.com/811/chicago-blues-a-living-history-2010-grammy-nominee#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:08:43 +0000 The Blues Blogger http://thebluesblogger.com/?p=811

“An engaging, updated introduction to the world of Chicago blues… Captures the musical spirit of the city and traces its development through the past 50 years. This album celebrates the past by breathing new life into it. ” ~ PopMatters

On Sunday January 31st, 2010 … Read the rest

]]> http://thebluesblogger.com/811/chicago-blues-a-living-history-2010-grammy-nominee/feed 9 The Robert Cray Band: New Album “This Time” Keeps You Rockin’ http://thebluesblogger.com/743/the-robert-cray-band-new-album-this-time-keeps-you-rockin http://thebluesblogger.com/743/the-robert-cray-band-new-album-this-time-keeps-you-rockin#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:17:49 +0000 The Blues Blogger http://thebluesblogger.com/?p=743

Inside the Car

I was anxiously tapping my fingers on the steering wheel… My wife waved to her mother who was looking out the front window alongside our son and dog. Often the challenges of everyday life make it hard to configure moments … Read the rest

]]> http://thebluesblogger.com/743/the-robert-cray-band-new-album-this-time-keeps-you-rockin/feed 8 Susan Tedeschi: Going Back To The River With Her Latest Release http://thebluesblogger.com/560/susan-tedeschi-going-back-to-the-river-with-her-latest-release http://thebluesblogger.com/560/susan-tedeschi-going-back-to-the-river-with-her-latest-release#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:06:48 +0000 The Blues Blogger http://thebluesblogger.com/?p=560

I Love Music!

These are the opening three words I wrote for TheBluesBlogger site. It was a year ago this weekend that I published my about me page and my first blog post. For the first time in many years, I had a lot … Read the rest

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